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Promoting Workplace Mental Wellbeing

A Rapid Review of Recent Intervention Research

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Handbook of Disability, Work and Health

Part of the book series: Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences ((HDBSOHS,volume 1))

Abstract

This chapter presents the results of a rapid review of intervention research on the promotion of workplace mental wellbeing in the past 5 years (2013–2017).

Based on published systematic reviews, there is evidence to support intervention in the following areas: bullying prevention, stress prevention, depression prevention, suicide prevention and system-wide multicomponent organizational approaches to health, safety, and wellbeing. Mindfulness is an intervention that also shows evidence for promoting employee wellbeing. Stigma reduction interventions also appear effective in changing attitudes toward employees with mental illness. This review highlights the need for more studies that aim to improve the positive aspects of work itself, either solely or in combination with employee-directed strategies.

Evidence for intervention studies published in the last 5 years but not yet subjected to systematic review or meta-analysis that show some promise are working time control, job crafting, stress management, wellbeing focused manager training, recovery strategies, positive psychology-based approaches, and psychological capital.

A variety of intervention related, contextual, individual, and delivery-based characteristics were also shown to be associated with intervention effectiveness; thus wellbeing impacts observed in replication and/or implementation of these approaches may vary.

The development of strategies to promote the positive aspect of work as well as worker strengths and positive capacities remains an underserved area in workplace mental health and wellbeing, particularly with respect to programs that in some way are integrated with harm prevention and problem management/reactive strategies. Further work in this regard is warranted to demonstrate and realize the potential of fully integrated strategies to protect and promote workplace mental health and wellbeing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Menzies Institute for Medical Research and Tasmanian School of Business & Economics, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia

    Angela Martin

  2. University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia

    Clare Shann

  3. Shann Advisory, Preston, Geelong, VIC, Australia

    Clare Shann

  4. Determinants of Health Domain, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

    Clare Shann & Anthony D. LaMontagne

Authors
  1. Angela Martin
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  2. Clare Shann
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  3. Anthony D. LaMontagne
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony D. LaMontagne .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen Department of Health Sciences, Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Ute Bültmann

  2. Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldo Medizinische Fakultät, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Johannes Siegrist

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Martin, A., Shann, C., LaMontagne, A.D. (2019). Promoting Workplace Mental Wellbeing. In: Bültmann, U., Siegrist, J. (eds) Handbook of Disability, Work and Health. Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75381-2_15-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75381-2_15-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75381-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75381-2

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